The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-18
CARS RAZE A BUILDING.
FIFTEEN PEOPLE INJURED IN THE
CRASH.

The Engineer Probably Dead by this
Time-Many of His Fireman's Bones
Broken - Failure of the Brakes
Throws the Cars From the Track
and They Rush Into Signal Tower.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17.-The few resi-
dents in the neighborhood of the Baltimore
and Ohio "Y, ;" who were up and ON the
street at $50 o'clock this morning witnessed
a singular and startling scene. 1t was no
less than that of train of cars leaping from
the track and rushing, with the speed of
lightning and the crash of tlNinderbolt,
through brick house. In an instant the
train and house were in a heap of ruins and
the track for some distance was Uttered
with debris. The train to which this acci-
dent occurred was No 4, coming from the
West, and due here at 30 o'clock About
6:30 o'clock it came laundering into the
city over the Metropolitan branch, and at a
curve nearly mile away from the ''Y"'be-
gan whistling down brakes"
WHIsTLING IN VAIN.
For some reason the brakes were not put
down. The air brakes, it was stated, did
not work, and the engineer began blowing
MS UlSITeoo WulSble LOT uIle DTdkeILdu TO puU
on the regular brakes. Either the brake
man did not heed the signal or it was not
given in time TO be of use, for the train,
flying at frightful rate, came laundering
down toward the sharp curve at the ''Yn
On the south side of the "Y," in a little
corner made by the intersection of the
tracks, was located the railroad signal
tower, a brick structure three stories high,
where railroad men are employed to regu-
lat, +l,a cic lc Aohe nj tha
CARS LEAVE THE TRACK.
When the train turned the sharp curve of
the syn with fearful headway, the cars be-
hind the engine flew from the track and
smashed into the signal tower, and in an in
slant there was wreck, which, for confu-
sion, has seldom been equaled in railroad
annals. The engine was dragged from the
track plowed through the dirt and mud a
distance of $50 feet, and then rolled over.
There it lay, giving forth its steam and hot
water in great jets. The steam and water
were blown through house, and some of
the inmates were badly scalded Near the
engine lay Hamilton Brosius, the engineer
crushed and dying, and his fireman with
several bones broken.
PANIC AND CONFUSION.
Behind the engine was a scene of panic
and confusion. One car was crushed and
nearly buried under the tracks and timbers
of the demolished building Two sleeping
coaches and one passenger coach remained
on the track. The mail car, the express
car and the baggage car were rolled over
roof of one car protruded from
the ruins of the building. The
disaster, of course, at once created intense
excitement. The fire alarm was sounded,
which brought the fire department and
police to the scene. Ambulances were hur
riedly sent for and a corps of physicians
came, summoned from every direction.
Many injured passengers were removed and
taken to neighboring houses, drug stores
or to hospitals. In this way eighteen or
twenty people were got out of the wreck,
some of them only slightly injured and
others with bones broken and bodies badly
bruised and cut.
IN THE TOWER.
In the signal tower on the upper floor, an
observatory, William Baxter, the railroad
signal man, was at work On the ground
floor Joseph Haley, a young man employed
by the railroad company, was engaged
cleaning lamps. Baxter, it appears, realized
the impending danger in time. He gave a
shout to Haley and leaped from the tower
to the ground. He broke his arm in the
fall and was badly shaken up
but seems to have escaped more serious in
jury. Haley below, however, was buried
in the ruins of the house. When he was
diSintelred it was found that the timbers
had fallen SO as to protect him from the
tons of brick and mortar above him. He
was badly frightened and bruised and blind
ed by lime and plaster.
NAMES OF THE INJURED.
The following is full list of the injured:
Charles Koch, Cincinnati, badly injured
in the back O
Mrs. Charles Koch, of Cincinnati, slightly
shocked.
Charles Morrison, of Cincinnati, slightly
injured in the back.
Frank Donaur, of st. Louis, shoulder dis
located
j. H. Smith, of Cincinnati fireman, both
legs broken.
Wilhelm Buck, of Cincinnati, head bad
ly cut.
Mrs. Mary Buck, of Cincinnati, badly
shocked
Ed. Sechemeyer, of Cincinnati, slightly
injured.
George Henley, of Washington, seriously
injured
William Baxter, telegraph operator, of
washington, painfully injured about the
head
The Chicago and Cincinnati sleepers did
not leave the track
William Bradford, who lives near Lynch
purg, Va, was bruised about the head.